Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-06-23
THOSE BATTLE FLAGS.

/ \
tion, withdraws His Verbal Assent to tn
Return of Captured Confederate Battle
Flags to the Several Southern States
The Excitement Subsiding.
WASHINGTON, June 16-Ths following
statement concerning the restoration o
| the rebel battle flags was made to reI
| resentative of the United Press at tn
| White House tonight:
tWhen the question of returning Ger
tain flags to the States was mentioned t
the President by the Adjutant-General o
the army, the important feature scenes
to be the return to the loyal States OF tn
flags which had been captured by tn
Confederates and retaken by our army a
the time of the collapse of the rebellion
They, with some of the Confederate flag
captured from the enemy by our troops
had been for a long time uncared for ane
neglected, packed away in boxes
and going to decay in thu
cellar of the War Department
and had lately been removed to the attic
as better place for their safe keeplng
The disposition OF the flags, which seemed
to be answering no good purpose where
they were, was the main point; and tbs
consideration was presented to the Presi
dent that some flags had been returned K
loyal States upon their request in In
might as well all be returned together
The return of the Confederate flags
which were, with the others, in the de
partment was suggested, but there was
not the slightest thought of interfering in
any way with the captured flags now held
by anyState. The fact, apparently received
with favor by the country, that lately in
one or more cases Northern troops visit.
ing their late antagonists at the South
had returned to them flags which had
been captured in battle from those whose
Inequalities they were enjoying; the
further fact that Northern troops who,
within very short time, had been visit
ing Southern battle fields, had spoken in
the warmest terms of the kind and hos
pitable treatment they had received from
Confederate soldiers, and the fact, too,
that soldiers from the North and South
were just gathering at the National
capital, to m eet in friendly competition at
the National drill, seemed to indicate that
if the Union flags were returned to the
loyal States which had lost them in bat
tie, it would not be inconsistent with the
fraternal sentiment which seemed to be
prevalent to offer at the same time to the
Governors Of the States formerly in re-
bellion return of the flags which had
been capture from their soldiers The
right of the department to make these re-
turns being ques toned by the President,
it was distinctly asserted and precedents
alleged, and thereupon his verbal assent
was given to the proposed action. The
matter was dis missed from his mind un-
til comment within the last day or two
brought it again to his attention, when,
upon personally examining the law and
considering the subject more carefully,
he satisfied himself that no disposition of
hos l. .sAl-
gressional action, whereupon he dire cted
a suspension of further proc eedings in
the matter in the following order:
EXECUTIVE MANSION !
WASHINGTON, June 10, 1897
To THE SECRETARY OF WAR: have to-day
considered with more care than VIII en- the SUBJ
ject was orally presented to me, the action OF
your department directing If,tters to be adj
dressed to the Governors of all the Stat els, Of
fering to return, if desired, to the loyal States
the Union flags captured in the war of the re-
be1lion by the Confederate forces and after
ward recovered by Government troops; AID to
the Confederate States the flags captured by
the Union forces, all of which, for many years,
have been packed in boxes and stor ed in the
cellar and attic of the War Department.
am of the opinion that the return of these
flags in the manner thus contemplated, is not
authorized by existing law, nor justified as an
executive act. I request, therefore, that no
examine and inventory these flags and adopt
proper measures for their preservation. Any
direction to the final disposition of them
should originate with Congress.
Yours truly,
fSignedl GROVER CLEVELAND.
An intimate friend of the Executive
said last evening that the President sane.
toned the return of the flags without
giving the subject serious consideration,
and upon representations that the matter
was not in any way governed by law.
The Presidents understanding was that
the flags had been from time to time re-
turned when applied for, and that no new
or important question was involved. I'm
mediately upon examining the law, how
ever, and learning that there was large
number of Confederate flags involved,
and that none of them had ever before
been returned, the President immediately
decided that his approval of the plan had
been sin considerate and mistaken"
The excitement here over the proposed
restoration of the flags is su bsiding as
rapidly as it fomented. Early in the day,
after Adjutant-General DRUMS circular
letter to the Governors proffering the re-
turn of the flags became generally known,
Grand Army of the Republic men were
up in arms, and were loud in their de-
of the proposed restoration.
General Boynton, at the suggestion of
Governor Foraker, Of Ohio, proceeded
to take legal proceedings to re-
strain the Secretary of War from re-
the flags captured by troops of
that State. There was to be warm the
courts at least, and the President was
criticised harshly for appro ring the re-
storation of these trophies. OF course,
The President heard of all this. and
looked into the natter, and put
IN end to the excitement and the threat
ened legal proceedings and impending
war, by directing the Secretary of War
1ot to restore the flags.
Gcn eral Boynton's legal proceedings,
which he intended to open in the courts
his afternoon, but which were unavoid-
ably delayed, will now be dropped.
Drum and Secretary
Endicott, on whom it is presumed the
President depended for correct knowl-
edge of the law governing the custody
Ind control of these war trophies, came
n tonight for most criticism in mislead.
ng. or misinforming, the President about
lis authority to dispose Of them in the
manner proposed. Fair minded men app
,laud the President for his prompt action
n the matter, and for averting a legal |
proceeding and public discussion, which |
would have done more to arouse war |
MIN osities and sectional prejudices than |
he exhibition of these Tags for hun
red years.
Bad for Kershaw.
CHICAGO, June 16-The following notice
1ven this morning by Kershaw, is the